What's Left of Us
by Endure.Survive.To-the-end1023
Summary: I'm sorry. I'm sorry it took 5 long years for me to see that you weren't being selfish. You didn't doom humanity. It was already doomed, long before the cordyceps. Humanity would survive. It was strong. Jackson itself was proof of humanity enduring. So here I am, following the trail of the hunters who took you all by myself. Humanity at its finest. Selfish and stubborn and alive.
1. Chapter 1

**What's Left of Us**

I know we stopped talking over the last five years. I never told you - I don't know why I didn't speak out like usual - but I knew you were lying the second I woke up in the backseat of that car.

I chose to believe you at first, not willing to think anything bad of you, but the reality came crashing down on me. I don't know why you stole me away from the fireflies. I don't know what they had planned to do to me that scared you so badly, I only have theories. I knew Marlene was dead. Every time I'd bring her up you would change the subject, and get quiet and angry like you used to be when the guilt of the world fell on your shoulders. I don't know why you had to kill her, the woman who had been so much like a mother to me.

It's been hard coming to terms with what you did. The decision you made for me. You've got to be the most selfish man I have ever met. Keeping me alive so you could be happy. Dooming the world to this sickness, this apocalypse. Despite it all Joel, I need you to know the truth. I forgive you, and I'm sorry. _She_ had painted that much obvious for me, something I should have seen years ago, but I was too stubborn and angry. I always assumed your selfishness had doomed humanity, but I was wrong. You are humanity, and so am I. Tommy, Maria and the rest of Jackson. Humanity at its finest. Selfish and stubborn and alive.

I think it's about time I caught you up.

The house I had been assigned on the west side of Jackson was a two-bedroom town house with a small living room and a bathroom; both of which I shared with my roommate, Suzanna. Roommate was a loose term. It was more like foe, enemy, begrudging-stranger-that-I-shared-a-wall-with.

"Evening Dyke," Susie chimed, stalking past me as she came in through the front door.

I gritted my teeth and stabbed at my eggs. Yes, my roommate was positively charming. Just the most pleasant woman in all of Jackson city. The one and only homophobe in the apocalypse, and Tommy assigned her as my roommate. Not on purpose of course.

I left shortly after the woman's arrival, and walked quickly to my post. I had to mentally prepare for the night shift that I was being paid generously for. "Hiya Ellie!" Michelle called from the lookout waving tiredly.

"Hey, how's it going?"

She smiled slightly and helped me up the last prong on the ladder so I stood beside her on the platform. "Quiet day, not a click or cry,"

"That's what I like to hear. Get home, I'll see you later."

She nodded lightly, "Thanks, have a good night!"

You know how strangely cold that summer was for us in Jackson, and so I sat with my hood up and gloves on, gazing out over the hills that stood past the west entrance. The rifle I held began to weigh down my arms after only a few hours. I knew something was off. I couldn't put a finger on it but something wasn't right about the air that night.

 _Click. Click. Click._ The distinctive noise was enough to set me on my guard. I pulled the scope to my eye and flipped on the military grade flashlight that was duct taped to the top of the weapon. There were three of them trudging along the trail, and four more followed a yard behind. They screeched and clicked in a flurry, something was holding their attention.

Slowly, I followed the path in front of them and with a gasp I spotted the horse. " _Fucking hell! Tommy!_ " The clickers screeched again at my outburst and broke out into a run. _Bang! Bang! Bang!_ I fired my weapon and hit all three of my targets.

"Maria come in," I nearly yelled into my walkie unit. "I repeat, Maria come in. I have an emergency at the west gate. Maria do you copy?"

" _Yeah I'm here Ellie, what's the deal?"_

 _BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!_ The next four dropped but the clicking was still clear in the quiet night. Distant but there.

"Tommy's horse is here!" I hollered scrambling down the ladder, "and its brought an entourage."

There was silence over the radio. I pulled the heavy door open. Buster, Tommy's old steed, stood impatiently on the other side, snorting at me. I yanked his reigns and quickly closed the doors behind him.

" _Calling all arms, west entrance is in need of back up. Calling all arms, west entrance is in need of back up."_ Maria's voice didn't show any sign of weakness as it sounded across the city over the intercoms that had been installed a few months prior.

I clambered back up to my post just as the flood lights blinked on with a _clunk_ over the door. Two, three, six, ten, probably thirty. More than I could possibly count in such little time. Clickers and runners and stalkers alike ran towards the city. Men and woman ran in the streets towards my post as I started firing. I had taken down ten of my own before other shots started sounding. Michelle and her two older brothers stood with me on my platform nodded at me in acknowledgment.

It took nearly an hour for the horde to disappear. A pile of rotting flesh surrounded the entrance. We were all quiet, Michelle, her two brothers and I. Our guns were still raised, cocked and ready. A single, final shot was fired and then nothing.

" _Status report,"_ Maria's voice came through.

I alone dared to move, "Appears clear."

" _Ellie, was Tommy with Buster_?"

Michelle and I shared a look. Buster had ran off, spooked by the gunfire. He had come through the doors alone. "Negative."

Silence.

Michelle and her family left once again, along with the six others that had taken arms along the post. "You sure you're okay Ellie? I can take over for the rest of your shift?" she offered sincerely.

"No, I'm okay, honest. Go on, I'll see you tomorrow," She nodded and then left again.

I felt strange standing back on my platform. Tommy had left with a small group three days prior, but that you knew. "Joel," I mumbled fidgeting with the strap of my gun.

When the morning came Colten, Michelle's brother, was there to replace me. He yawned as he took my gun, "Quite the night hey?"

I nodded, "Yeah, hope you were able to sleep."

"I don't think anyone did. Buster was found outside Tommy's. He was pretty beat up. Maria's gone hard though, acting like this is just like any other scavenge group disappeared."

"She heading to the meet up?"

He nodded, "Yeah within the hour. They want to be there to be sure that the group shows up. Bring provisions in case they were ambushed. Chances are they're already there."

I nodded. "Joel and Tommy? How could they not be."

He snorted, "Those two could have killed that entire horde themselves."

"I've seen Joel do it," I snorted and Colten smirked.

"Old man is tough. I wouldn't worry Ell, get to Maria."

I nodded and ran off towards Maria's house.

She was on the porch with three men, all equipped and prepared to depart. "Ellie," she raised her eyebrow at me, "Didn't you just get off shift?"

I nodded, "I want to come with you to the meet up."

She squinted at me curiously, "You must be exhausted."  
"Even if I were, I wouldn't be able to sleep. Please Maria, ma'am."

She could hear the desperation in my voice and her face softened. "Alright kid, gear up."

We exited through the west entrance, Colten waved at the five of us as we rode off. Silent and brisk we rode to the meeting spot.

The rules of scavenging in Jackson were few but vital. The most important of these rules was what to do if you were to become separated. A place was determined where the group would meet up to find each other. They would wait twenty-four hours before heading back to Jackson. With or without the entire group. There were no search parties. They all agreed to it before setting out on their mission every two months.

We wanted to meet Tommy's group at their meet up in case there were injuries. It wasn't normally done and it was on the border of breaking protocol. But there we were riding up to the ruins of an old cabin.

A small fire was lit and around it, three sleeping figures. "Tommy!" Maria called, jumping from her horse.

The man sat up immediately, along with the eighteen-year-old Darcy and his older girlfriend Judy. "What the hell are you doing here?" He said in disbelief, jumping to his feet.

He scooped up his wife and hugged her close. All the while, all I could think was of how you weren't there. Darcy stood in front of me and smiled slightly. He and I had always gotten along, although I was two years his senior we had become fast friends in the early days.

He said nothing though, even as I gave him a questioning look. Instead he looked to Tommy, who was scanning the lot of us. His gaze stopped on me.

"You didn't have to come find us you know," he said to Maria but his eyes remained on me.

"Buster showed up at the doors scared out of his wits, a horde on his tail. Riding here with some medical supplies was the least we could do."

Tommy nodded and opened his mouth to say something. He closed it and finally broke eye contact with me. "Tommy," I said meaningfully.

He tensed, as did Darcy and Judy. No one breathed a sound. "Ellie, I'm surprised you're out here," was his response.

"She was on watch when your horse came barrelling in. Took down most of the infected for us too," Maria explained.

"Good for you Kiddo," Tommy's voice was terse and I knew I wouldn't like the answer to the question burning on my tongue.

"Where is he?"

"Now Ellie-"

"Is he okay?"

"Ellie look-"

"Is he alive?"

"Ellie!" Tommy raised his voice at me and I closed my mouth into a tight scowl, "To be completely honest with you, we don't know."

"Where is he Tommy?"

Tommy looked at the wind-up watch he wore and glowered deeply, "He's still got another five hours to find us Ellie. Don't lose your hair."

Five hours and then we would walk back to Jackson, with or without you.

"What the hell happened?" Maria asked pulling a water bottle out of her bag and handing it to Judy.

"We got ambushed by some hunters I ain't ever seen in these parts before," Tommy responded sitting back down beside the fire. Maria followed suit.

I remained standing, my arms crossed staring at Tommy hard. "Did you give them what they wanted?" one of Maria's men asked.

Darcy nodded, but we all knew it didn't matter what hunters wanted. Those who ran into them, usually didn't walk away with their lives. "We handed them all our gear, the horses, even our water. They were gonna let us walk when they noticed Joel."

"What do you mean noticed?" Maria questioned.

"He had been scavenging a few blocks down when we got caught so he hung low. He was waiting them out, wasn't gonna attack or anything stupid like usual. They spotted him just as they were about to leave. They didn't like that one bit," Judy swallowed hard and avoided my gaze at all cost.

"He handed his gear to them immediately, but it weren't enough. They wanted him," Tommy looked me in the eye. "They tied him up and threw him on a horse."

"Then he's alive?"

"Yeah Ellie, he's probably alive, for now."

"Then we gotta go find him."

"Ellie, we got rules you know," Maria snapped.

"Tommy, this is your brother we are talking about here," I said, ignoring Maria. Everyone looked to our fearless leader, thinking the same thing.

Tommy meanwhile looked at his wife and swallowed loudly, she glanced back at him with no expression on her face. "Ellie, Joel knows the protocol. He would be pissed if we broke it. Besides they could be leagues away by now."  
"He's your brother," I choked, tears burning in anger at my eyes. "Don't tell me you'd do any different if this were Maria."  
"Hey now! You heard him Ellie! Joel's a tough sonuva and if he's alive he'll get back to Jackson on his own. Don't go taking your guilt out on Tommy!"

"Guilt?" I spat at Maria, taking a heavy step forward.

"That's right. You feel guilty for shutting that man out of your life after all he's done for you. Don't go throwing it in Tommy's face."

I said nothing. She wasn't lying. I did feel guilty and angry with myself. I knew had no right to fight against them in your name. They had been your family for the past five years. I hadn't said more than a few words to you in the last three; only on those rare occasions that our shifts crossed over.

I sat down away from the rest of them, "Five hours?" I said to no one in particular.

"I'll give him six," Tommy responded. His voice was sympathetic and broken. I knew he wasn't taking this as easy as he put on. Tommy and you may not have always seen eye to eye but you were attached at the hip most days.

I nodded, "He'll be here."

And so we waited. The morning light grew higher in the sky. It seemed the weather had made a drastic change for the better. The sticky, summer heat slowly blanketed us, and soon the forest began to come alive. Sounds of birds and squirrels and buzzing bugs were loud in the silence that filled my head. Did you hear it all too?

"Ellie it's time," Tommy was nudging me out of the numb sleep I had fallen into. "We need to get back to Jackson."

I looked up to find everyone had already packed up their belongings and were on the horses. Nobody would meet my gaze, nobody except Tommy. He was fighting his own internal battle; I could see it in his eyes clear as day.

"I'm not going," I responded. Tommy didn't react, he had been expecting this response.

"Look, if Joel is still out there he will know to come back to Jackson. We waited long enough Ellie."

I shook my head, "He didn't make it _here_ Tommy. He's not making it back to Jackson. He needs our help. I'm going to go find him."

Maria sighed heavily, "Ellie stop being a fool and get on your horse."

I ignored her and kept Tommy's gaze for a long moment. He nodded and pulled the pack Maria had brought for him off his back. "Here take this," I took it with a nod of thanks.

"I'm going to find him."

"Kid, there are rules!" Maria raised her voice at me.

"Rules that you can follow all the way back to fucking Jackson. He's alive. It's not like they watched him get ripped the fuck to shreds or taken by a horde. He was stolen on the back of a horse. So leave, but I'm not going anywhere without that man."

Tommy shot his wife a look at stopped her from responding to me before putting a hand on my shoulder, About ten miles due west of here – that old ranch you know? – you'll find a path that leads into the hills behind the houses. Follow it till you hit the river, that's where they hit us."

"They rode with the current. Seemed to be following the river somewheres," Darcy responded with a nod.

"Here," Tommy began to untie Buster's reigns from Maria's saddle. I looked at her, waiting for her to protest. She just stared at us, once again expressionless. "Be nice to my old pal, he's been good to me. Go on now, before I change my mind," I pulled myself up onto Buster and nodded. "Be careful you hear?"

I look him dead in the eye and smiled a little, "I'm always careul."

He snorted and pulled me into a tight hug. "Bring him back Ellie," his voice was quiet and rough.

He jumped on the horse behind Maria, who was still staring at me with no expression.

"I'm going to find him Maria."

"Goodbye kid."


	2. Chapter 2

" _Hey," I turned sharply at Joel's rough voice behind me. I did not expect him home till early dawn. He did nothing to hide the disappointment in his face at the boxes that my newly empty room was packing up into. Three boxes, one of clothes, one of books, and a small one of personal items. My life could be summed up into the six sides of the three cardboard boxes._

" _Hey…" I said, picking up the smallest box and rushing by him, determined not to make eye contact. I had made my mind months ago._

 _I could no longer bear the resentment. Two years had gone by and as much as I wanted to believe that time would eat the anger right out of my chest - my mind and very being - I had to face the truth sooner or later. Joel was not the hero I had so whole heartedly looked up to and loved with every particle of my life. His actions, his choices and ultimately his selfishness was the only thing that lived in my mind, my memories and heart. I could no longer bear to wake up and have him smile at me at the breakfast table. Or watch him interview people wanting to join Jackson in our living room or listen to him go on about how amazing the community is and how lucky we are to have finally found a safe place, home._

 _He watched me with gloomy eyes as I moved all three boxes to the door and proceeded to pick up my mattress as well. "A little spring cleaning?" He asked, knowing the answer._

 _I sighed and set my pillow on top of my boxes, my back to him. "Joel don't make this any harder than it is."_

" _It is for you?"_

" _Sorry?" I looked at him, he had his hands shoved deep in his pocket and he looked at the floor._

" _Is it hard for you to go behind my back and apply for your own place with Maria. Is it hard for you to move across town and change all your guard shifts so that we don't work together no more. Is it hard to cut me out of your life Ellie?" he spoked calmly and quietly._

" _Fucking Tommy," I said, suspecting that the man wouldn't have kept my application a secret. "Joel I'm eighteen, don't look at this any other way than what it is. It's time for me to be on my own for once."_

 _He looked up at this comment and crossed his arms, "You were assigned a roommate."_

 _I nodded, well aware of the fact. "I meant without someone watching my every move."_

" _I don't-"_

" _You do. Look no hard feelings Joel, you know I appreciate everything you've ever done for me but there's got to be a point where my debt to you is paid off. I can't live my whole to your standards because you saved my life."_

 _He was quiet for a long moment so I turned away and pulled on my winter coat. "You saved mine," He almost whispered._

 _I looked over my shoulder, "Then I set you free of whatever obligation you feel towards me. I don't need you anymore Joel. I can do it on my own, I don't need you making my decisions for me. When I'll work, when I'll eat and when I'll sleep. I need to be on my own."_

 _He nodded and shuffled his feet awkwardly towards me, "Alright, alright kid," he went to ruffle my hair and I dodged his hand, grimacing. He too made a face and instead put his hand on the back of his neck._

" _This isn't me moving out of my parent's house. This is my taking control of my life for once. You're not my father Joel."_

 _He flinched at the word 'father' and diverted his gaze again. "Alright," his voice was harsh and I knew he finally understood. "Do you need help moving those?"_

 _I looked over at my items, my only possessions and shook my head. "I have a sled tied to my saddle, I'll be okay. Thanks."_

 _He said nothing more, only gave me a single hard nod and turned to go into his bedroom._


	3. Chapter 3

I often think back to that day that I moved out of your home and into the two-bedroom assignment with Suzanne. I think about how hard it was waking from frightening dreams in the middle of the night and not finding you sitting at the dinner table eat cereal; looking just as sleep deprived as myself. We had an unspoken truce about those nights. As you poured my milk and sat across from you with a comic book before we silently went back to back an hour or so later. I thought about those nights most often when I would instead wake again the next morning to passive aggressive notes from my roommate insisting that I was too loud with my dishes in the nights. And demanding that I remain in my room till an appropriate time. She also did not appreciate the screaming that came with my dreams.

There were so many times after that day that you tried to make plans for me to come to dinner or work a shift with you. I said no wanting to stand my ground on my independence and my separation from you. It wasn't easy but as the months went by you stopped trying and I found the weight of anger and bitterness was slowly being lifted from my shoulders. It was instead replaced with guilt. A burden I was confused by.

Maria was right. She was always right.

The day was long gone when I finally reached the river. There I found hooves imprinted in the sand leading away from the ranch that Tommy had been speaking about. I saw where the scuffle took place and set off down the track following the river for nearly an hour when they disappeared abruptly. "Fuck," they veered into the grass beside me. Three horses and two sets of shoes. One set was small, their steps close together. I pictured a child running along side the horses and the men who's feet walked in the large footsteps beside.

I had never been one for tracking. That had always been your forte on scavenges. Despite what you had taught me about reading the prints in the ground I cold never see what you saw. I couldn't tell an entire story based off of one set of prints in the snow. And so, I decided it was best to set up camp before I completely lost the trail in the darkness. Buster snorted in appreciation as I slipped his saddle off and onto the ground. I tied him around my waist knowing that anywhere else would allow for someone to easily slip away with him while I slept.

I used the hand made leather saddle as a seat and built a small fire in front of me. Warm enough that I could throw a can of beans onto it but small enough that it didn't attract any unwanted attention. I closed my eyes as I waited for my beans to warm.

Somewhere in the distance I heard the cry of a clicker. Feral and desperate. I let myself get lost in the noise it created, shuffling around, blind to everything around it. Alive for no other reason than to destroy. _No, alive for no other reason to survive. Just like me._

"Just like us," I said to Buster, patting his snout. He snorted again and shuffled out of my reach so he could eat in peace.

The clicker grew closer.

I pulled the beans from the flames with metal tongs and set it down to cool beside my feet. An animal chirped in the trees and the clicker responded with a guttural call, it's shuffling became more urgent and I knew it was close now.

I pulled a knife from my belt and sat, waiting for the diseased creature to "see" buster in the dark with it's cries.

Closer, closer, _click, click, click_.

It finally appeared from behind a tree. It was woman with long, curling black hair who was once beautiful. She wore a flowy pink summer dress that brushed her knees softly. It was filthy but I could tell that she must have traded more than a days worth of ration cards for the outfit. Or maybe a loved one bought it for her. It must have flattered her once before her body began to deteriorate. She couldn't have been more than twenty years old. It could have been a gift from a boyfriend or her father. Delicate bare feet with red painted toe nails. Almost so clean that it seemed impossible that she had been wandering around the forest. She must have come from the river, followed something into the trees. She chirped loudly and buster looked up, almost unperplexed by the monster. But his movement was enough for her to sense him.

I squinted noticing the most unusual thing about her only then.

 _Click._

All at once she hurled herself in our direction, her arms waving and her cry growing louder. I leaped to my feet, knife at hand. But she was suddenly on the ground, on her back, her dainty hands grasping at her throat as her cry was cut off and replaced with a horrible, sputtering choking. I stepped lightly towards her, unsure and confused.

The rope that was tied around her neck was now taught and she was being dragged back towards the trees, flailing like a fish on dry land. I moved quickly, swiftly shoving my knife into her temple. She stopped fighting but her body continued to be dragged off by the rope.

Buster did not appreciate being ridden bareback but I had no time to turn around for the saddle. His reigns were still tied around my waist when I jumped onto his back.

We followed the girl through the bushes, she left clumps of beautiful ebony hair in brambles and her blood stained the grass and the leaves red. It was like rubies in the light of the moon. Glittering beneath us as we trotted along a yard behind.

She hit a tree, hard. One yank. Two yanks. Three harsh yanks. And that's where she came to a stop. I watched the rope go limp and slowly backed off into the thick leaves. Jumping off Buster and hiding in the bushes. I could see her still, broken and frail in the grass.

"Fucking hell!" Someone yelled out in frustration, rounding the tree to find her lifeless body. "Jayson! Someone stabbed her!"

The girl who crouched beside the clicker was rough and dirty with spiky platinum hair and pale, pale skin. She wore cargo with holes in the knees and a black tank top that didn't quite cover her stomach. A pristine crossbow, obviously her prized possession, was strapped tightly across her back.

A man, Jayson, appeared as well, pulling in the rope and wrapping it into a loop, he too cursed and examined her. "How the fuck did that happen?"

"I told you the rope was too long."

"We need her far away."

"Not far enough that she would wander off. She must have made it all the way to the river."

"Well it was a stupid idea anyhow."

The girl stood up quickly and stared daggers into the man, "Fucking call me stupid again."

He rolled his eyes and proceeded to cut the rope from the beautiful clickers slender neck. "I didn't call _you_ stupid. I called your idea stupid. We were much more likely to attract these fuckers to us than away from us with his plan. They could follow the rope either way."

"They won't _follow the rope_ ," she seethed, "they're fucking dead. They'll follow the noise, which was _her_."

"I don't know Ace, they usually don't give two shits about each other."

"Oh shut the fuck-"

Buster nickered behind me and I had to cover my mouth to stop the gasp from escaping. I quickly stepped out of the reigns and threw myself deeper into the thicket.

The two looked at each other before the girl pulled her weapon and I knew that she was born to hold that crossbow. She bore it as if it was an extension of her arm. I had to force my mouth to close so I didn't drool.

"It's a horse," the man said, lowering his weapon.

She rolled her eyes and glared at him, " _Obviously._ Honestly Jayson how the fuck are you still alive. That horse belongs to someone. Probably whoever killed fancy over there. They can't be far. They wouldn't just ditch their ride."

"You think it's part of the group the guys ambushed earlier?"

My eyes stayed of Ace's face. She considered what he said for a moment before shaking her head, "I wouldn't think so. They're going in the completely wrong direction if it were." Her face turned in my direction and her gaze lingered. I shrunk into myself, made myself invisible. As strong as you made me, I would lose a fight against this girl.

I heard your low, rough laughter in my head and tried to keep my cool. _The wrong direction._ Jayson went to grab Buster's reigns, but the horse was already spooked and veered onto his hind legs, crying out loudly in protest.

"Shhh," Jayson said, backing off as the 1500 pound animal landed back on his front legs, nostrils flaring in fear. He stopped his feet and whined, warning the guy away. It appeared he had had enough of people shit for the day.

Ace looked around. She heard what I heard. What Jayson was deaf to. Faint clicks and chitters in the distance. A guttural moan from another direction and the eager laughter of a man freshly turned.

"Jay we've gotta move," she whispered backing away. "Leave the fucking horse."

"But we could use him," he protesting going for the reigns once more.

The laughter of a runner was clear now. His pounding footsteps. Clickers too grew aware of the disturbance in the night. "Yeah so could the chick hiding in the bush. Jayson _let's go_ ," she nudged him with her crossbow as he turned to her astounded, his eyes searching in the darkness for my hiding spot.

"What? Where?"

I wasted no time, I jumped from my bush, not bothering with a weapon and nearly leapt onto Buster. The man stood dumbfounded as his friend ran in the opposite direction.

I looked down at him and held a hand out, "Come on!" He raised a gun at me in shaky hands. He was no older than sixteen years old. Fear was evident in his face. "Dude grab my fucking hand."

He cocked his weapon, the runner was a few feet away. I stared into his scared eyes. Into the face of his loaded gun, his shaking finger struggling to sit lightly on the trigger. Then I was running after her, past her, away from them both.

A gun shot, then Jayson's screams, then silence.

My fire was out when I finally found my way back, and my beans were cold. I re-saddled Buster, guilt washing over me in waves. I kicked the can in anger. It rebounded off a tree and flew into a patch of bloody grass from the clicker.

I wasn't even going in the right direction.

I slumped to the ground beside my pathetic fire. Throwing my face in my hands. I didn't know what to do. It had been so long since I had been so alone. Years in fact. Since that cold winter so long ago. Still then, I had you beside me, sick and dying but always beside me.

I choked back a sob, "Joel, what the fuck am I supposed to do?"

"Get up," her voice was rougher than it was minutes before. Winded.

I looked at the exotic girl. So fierce and strong. She belonged in the wilderness. I used to be like her. Years ago before we settled. I used to be strong and brave.

I didn't stand and she drew an arrow back in her crossbow. I laughed, unsure of what else to do. "He wouldn't get on. He just pointed his gun at me."

"I told his sister I'd bring him home safe," she said in a monotone voice.

"Then you shouldn't have just ran off without him like you did."

She shot the bow and the arrow landed inches from my left foot.

"The next one's going in your throat. _Stand up_."

"Why? You want my horse, go for it. You want my food? Bags over there."

She scowled and walked towards me with heavy steps, I found myself noticing the army boots she wore; and it was as her foot came crashing into my face that I noticed they were steal toed.

 _God dammit Ellie_. And there you were, in my head, always in my head.


End file.
